The NATO-Ukraine Council issued a statement on 24 February 2024 to mark 'two years of Russia's brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and ten years since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and initial military intervention in the Donbas.' This statement contains no disinformation because Russia has really committed these and other crimes in Ukraine.
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about EU disintegration and a looming economic collapse of western countries' economies. As our past analysis explains, the 'imminent collapse' narrative is often used in pro-Kremlin outlets in relation to the EU, European countries, or capitalism and the purpose it to erode public trust and confidence in society, thus weakening morale in Western societies.
This disinformation story is a distorted reference to a New York Times report, the content of which is being disingenuously twisted to support pro-Kremlin justifications for the invasion. The original NTY article explains how contacts between US and Ukrainian intelligence started in 2014 but only deepened in 2016, two years after Russia's aggression had started with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the engineering of an armed conflict in Donbas. According to the NYT article, the network of CIA bases was also established on that second date.
This disinformation story is a distorted reference to a New York Times report, the content of which is being disingenuously twisted to support pro-Kremlin justifications for the invasion.
The original NYT article explains how contacts between the US and Ukrainian intelligence services started in 2014 but only deepened in 2016, two years after Russia's aggression had started with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the engineering of an armed conflict in Donbas.
The disinformation is based on a video message from the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, published on February 26, 2024. Budanov recalled that Russia's war against Ukraine began not in 2022, but ten years ago - with a carefully planned Russian military operation to seize Ukrainian Crimea.
The EU, the US and their partners from G7 have been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. They have been trying to strike common ground and find a common language with the Russian Federation. In 1997, Russia and NATO signed the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security, which said that 'NATO and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries.'
Sevastopol is an Ukrainian city, as well as Luhansk and Donetsk, temporarily occupied by Russia.
No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine", stating that the referendum in Crimea was NOT valid and declaring its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.
The EU does not impose any action or program on the partner countries. The overall aim of cooperation is to build a common area of shared democracy, prosperity, and stability in line with each individual country's aspirations.
The claim that the Belarusian opposition is planning to change the country's borders is baseless. After the violent crackdown of the 2020 protests by Lukashenka, tens of thousands of Belarusians moved to Poland in order to avoid repressions. The claim that Belarusian opposition groups and associations operating in Poland are planning a military attack on Belarus is unfounded.
Russia's responsibility for the global food crisis comes as a consequence of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine: naval blockade of Ukrainian posts, bombardment of transport infrastructure and shelling of farming regions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destabilised global food markets and is driving food prices up due to increased cost of production, transport and freight insurance. Russia has destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.